“Being a Spartan is the greatest connection point that you can have in this world,” said Cherie Swarthout, ’92. “There's not a Spartan out there that doesn't want to help you be successful.”
Swarthout knows a thing or two about success. During MSU's 1990-91 women's basketball season, she started all 29 games and, behind an average of 13 points and 6 rebounds per game, helped lead the program to its first NCAA Division I Tournament berth.
As a 4-seed, MSU earned a first-round bye, and the opportunity to host their game—versus Oklahoma State—at Breslin Center. Those plans were foiled by a previously scheduled event at the arena.
“I believe it was a monster truck show,” said Swarthout. “So, we had to go out there and play. But it was a phenomenal back and forth. It felt like one awesome play after another.”
After three rounds of overtime, the Cowgirls beat the Spartans 96-94 in the waning seconds. Swarthout went on to play professionally in Denmark, but an opportunity to work with hall-of-fame coach Jill Hutchinson soon landed her at Illinois State University, where she coached for 10 years, six under Hutchinson.
“She's a legend,” said Swarthout. “And so is Illinois State's athletic department. If you look at their commitment to women in sports, the success they've had, it’s foundational. And I was there to experience that, day in and day out.”
After a short stint in the insurance industry, Swarthout found herself missing athletics. In 2006, she accepted a sports information position at Queens University of Charlotte in North Carolina and hasn’t looked back.
Now, as director of athletics at Queens, Swarthout taps into lessons learned on the court and off.
“You have to be persistent. You have to be resilient. You have to stay the course,” she said. “That's what we do here.”
Swarthout believes in building the whole person. That is, nurturing the student, the athlete and the character of everyone who passes through her department.
Championship runner-up finish.
“I've always said you can be great at both,” she said. “You can be great in athletics. You can be great in academics—you do not have to compromise one for the other.”
This academic year, student-athlete GPAs averaged 3.44. And with a further commitment to community outreach, Queens athletes receive a well-rounded college experience. These days, that’s roughly 650 student-athletes—up from 200 when she arrived.
“When I got here, we had 12 or 13 programs. Now we have 30,” she said. “We've got a lot of foundational building blocks that have been laid by many committed staff and students over the years—it is a catalyst for us to keep leveling up.”
Thanks to their growth and success, including a string of top 10 finishes in the Learfield Directors’ Cup, a national award that recognizes outstanding college athletic departments, the Queens Royals recently transitioned from NCAA Division II to Division I.
The transition was a big undertaking, but one Swarthout leaned into with vigor. That’s just how she lives her life. Like when she moved to Charlotte in 2003 and linked up with the local MSU alumni group: “I went to an event, and there were about three people there,” she said. “I knew we could do better. So, we—a lot of really invested folks who are still invested today—helped transform the Charlotte Piedmont Alumni Club.”
Years later, when the club launched an endowment scholarship for students from North and South Carolina, the group gave it a worthy name: the Swarthout Alumni Scholarship of the Carolinas. “They really surprised me by giving it my name. It did not set out to happen that way.”
After finding success at multiple universities, it’s clear Swarthout is a Spartan for life. “The MSU network is powerful,” she said. “Wherever you are, any place in this world, find that connection with another Spartan and your world will open up.”